Still a classic after 42 years!

Rating: 8/10 (2 May 2004)

Invariably compared with "Saving Private Ryan" (SPR), this scores over the more modern work because of the focus on all the major sides of the action (British, American, French and German).
All languages are used (with subtitles as appropriate - eg the Germans speak in German, etc).
While true that the battle scenes are not gory as SPR's, and that the sounds of battle are muted during the dialog (unlike SPR's), it should be borne in mind that in '62, the audience rating of the time *was* a General Release ("G" in the US, "A" in the UK (I'm guessing for the UK, but it is now PG)) - which more detail would not have allowed.
I think part of the purpose of this film is to allow *everyone* to see what happened 18 years before!